Live Game Thread: Mercury vs Dream
by Seth Pollack on Sep 5, 2009 7:12 PM MDT
in WNBA / Phoenix Mercury
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The Mercury have now secured the home court advantage through the Western Conference finals with the 100-82 win over the Atlanta Dream.
The storyline for this game was a tired Atlanta team that was thinking more about getting back home versus a Phoenix team that wasn't about to let the opportunity to clinch the West slip through their hands.
Phoenix simply outplayed Atlanta in every aspect of the game except one. Three point shooting. The Mercury were a miserable 20% (4-20) from downtown while the Dream were 33% which is just slightly above their season average. The only point in the game where the Dream were able to close to within 2 points came in the 3rd period after Atlanta hit a couple of quick three's and Phoenix went through a little cold spell. But really this game was never in doubt.
If the Mercury, and lets be honest here, if Tangela Smith doesn't go 0-6 from three this game is over long before the final push came about half way through the 4th.
All around it was a great game for Phoenix, but just like in Indiana they didn't face a team at full strength playing anything close to their best ball.
Next up Seattle on the road Thursday and then the final game of the regular season at home Sunday the 13th against LA.
With this win, the only thing the Mercury have left to play for is the best record in the WNBA which secures home court against Indiana if they should come out of the East. The Fever are currently 20-10 with four games remaining while the Mercury are 22-10 with two left.
The Mercury look to control there own destiny with a win tonight. They can clinch the top spot in the West and home court advantage through the first two rounds with the W (and a L by Seattle who right now trails 29-39 in Minnesota).
The Dream come in a tired team playing the last game of their 5 game west coast road trip. They beat the Monarchs last night in game that saw 4 of the their 5 starters play big minutes.
I am going to try and live blog this one so feel free to chime in and let me know you are out there or I might forget about the laptop altogether...
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The Dream
really do seem like a tired team. They got into Phoenix about noon today and didn’t hold a normal shoot around….
Regardless of how they play tonight, I think this is the best team in the East right now
Blogging Suns Basketball
Interviewed Angel McCoughtry
The B story line tonight is the head to head between Bonner and McCoughtry who are neck and neck for ROY.
I talked to both of them today. Neither is focused on that and both talked about wanting to just help their teams win, yadda yadda
Angel seems like one of these intense players…nothing like the big happy / fiery personality of DB
Should be fun to see them on the same court together. Angel said she will like switch between covering Diana and Cappie. That should be fun for her…
Blogging Suns Basketball
and the Lynx beat the Storm
putting the Mercury’s destiny in their own hands….they don’t want to have to win in Seattle on Thursday to clinch. Time to get it done now…game about to start
The game is streaming live online btw at wnba.com
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Game delayed getting started
someone forgot to bring out the game ball….ooops
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Cappie has even
more of her head shaved…by the time the playoffs come she’s not going to have anything left
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Temeka having a birthday game
She’s got a 6 points already as the Merc lead 14-8 w/ 5:16 in the 1st
Here B-day is tomorrow btw. she’ll be 27
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Nicole Ohlde
is tearing it up in the paint…grabbing boards, taking up space and generally doing her thing w/ 4pts and 3 reb in 2 minutes of play….
Merc up 26-12 w/ 48sec in the 1st
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Mazzante misses her first attempt
a three of course….she did hit a half court shot at shoot around today
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the over the back call
is one of the more inconsistent whistles in this league
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Merc scoreless
for about the first 3 mintues of the 2nd qtr….still have a 28-17 lead
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Dream hit
a couple of open three’s as the Merc collapse in the paint and double the post…
Phx up 37-29 w/ 2:30 in the 2nd
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Gaines is running out
his closing unit of Bonner, Ohlde, Cappie, Tuarasi, Taylor
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Gaines is
rightly pissed about that last call on Nicole. She was fighting for position in the paint against DeSouza
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Alando Tucker at the game
he was the alone in the Suns practice floor today working on his game
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Merc are a miserable
3-17 from three. If they make their normal 39% this game is a blow out
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and just like that
the Merc get a couple of turnovers and are back up 64-54
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Merc starting to pull away
83-67 w/ 7:16 in the 4th….
the Dream just don’t have the energy or intensity tonight…they are solid team though. I love DeSouza. She runs the floor really well and they find her at the rim for easy buckets
Blogging Suns Basketball
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